Kriel takes over the captaincy from Siya Kolisi, who was forced to withdraw from the match due to a niggle injury.

Kriel who has earned 79 caps for South Africa since making his Test debut in 2015 admitted there was a brief stint of nervousness after receiving the news. 

“Fortunately, we have a lot of leaders in guys like Lood (de Jager), Malcolm (Marx), Damian (de Allende), Cheslin (Kolbe), and Kurt-Lee (Arendse), so having them in the team will make my job easier.”

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick was equally excited to see Kriel fulfill the role, and he was confident the hard-working centre would deliver on the expectations.

‘We know it’s going to be a challenging match’

Both Kriel and Stick were ecstatic about the international season officially kicking off and said facing the Barbarians was the ideal match for the team as they prepare for the Castle Lager Incoming Series against Italy and Georgia.

“They (Barbarians) have players with that X-factor and many leaders in their team as well. Given the fact that it is tough to analyse them, we feel this is exactly the type of test we need to start off the international season,” said Stick.

“This obviously means our players have to make wise decisions on the field, and given the calibre of their players, we know it’s going to be a challenging match.”

He said their focus in the Springbok camp was to tick their boxes to lay a strong foundation for the season ahead. The match will be hosted at the Cape Town Stadium and kick-off is at 17:10.

OFM Sport/Ilse Smalberger